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open access

Biodiversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of the South-Central Nearctic and Adjacent Neotropical Biotic Provinces

Description: The south-central United States serves as an important biogeographical link and dispersal corridor between Nearctic and Neotropical elements of western hemisphere odonate faunas. Its species are reasonably well known because of substantial collections, but there has been no concerted effort to document the extent of biodiversity and possible geographic affinities of dragonflies and damselflies of this region. The recent discoveries of Argia leonorae Garrison, Gomphus gonzalezi Dunkle and Erpeto… more
Date: May 1999
Creator: Abbott, John C.
open access

Chronic Ventricular Sympathectomy : Effects on Myocardial Metabolism

Description: Chronic ventricular sympathectomy elicits changes in the coronary circulation, myocardial oxygen consumption and size of infarction resulting fromcoronary occlusion. These changes indicate a change occurring in the basic metabolism of the heart in response to the removal of its sympathetic nervous input. This hypothesis was tested using two groups of dogs, a shamoperated control and a ventricular sympathectomized group. The sympathectomy procedure was an intrapericardial surgical technique whic… more
Date: August 1993
Creator: Adix Longlet, Nancy J.
open access

Nesting Ecology and Reproductive Correlates in the Desert-nesting Gray Gull Larus Modestus

Description: General objectives of my study were to describe the reproductive ecology of gray gulls in the large Lealtad colony, with emphasis on demographic parameters and physiological adaptations of eggs and chicks, which would complete some original objectives established in the early 1980's by Guerra and Fitzpatrick. Specifically, my study focused on describing, then comparing with other desert and non-desert nesting larids, interactive effects of ambient physical conditions and nest-site predation on … more
Date: May 1993
Creator: Aguilar Pulido, Roberto E. (Roberto Eric)
open access

Site Directed Mutagenesis of Dienelactone Hydrolase

Description: The clcD gene encoding dienelactone hydrolase (DLH) is part of the clc gene cluster for the utilization of the B-ketoadipate pathway intermediate chlorocatechol. The roles that individual amino acids residues play in catalysis and binding of the enzyme were investigated. Using PCR a 1.9 kbp clcD fragment was amplified and subcloned yielding a 821 bp BamHi to ZscoRI subclone in the plasmid pUC19.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Al-Khatib, Haifa Yousef
open access

A Behavioral Model for Detection of Acute Stress in Bivalves

Description: A behavioral model for acute responses in bivalves, was developed using time series analysis for use in a real-time biomonitoring unit. Stressed bivalves closed their shell and waited for the stressful conditions to pass. Baseline data showed that group behavior of fifteen bivalves was periodic, however, individuals behaved independently. Group behavior did not change over a period of 20 minutes more than 30 percent, however, following toxic exposures the group behavior changed by more than 30 … more
Date: May 1998
Creator: Allen, H. Joel
open access

Evaluation of Diet, Water, and Culture Size for Ceriodaphnia Dubia Laboratory Culturing

Description: Six reagent waters, eleven diets, and two culture sizes were evaluated for culturing C. dubia. Different filtration techniques were used to prepare the reagent waters. The eleven diets were comprised of two algae augmented with eight supplements. Reproduction and growth were assessed to discern differences among C. dubia raised in mass cultures and cultured in individual cups, during which, bacterial population densities, lipid, protein, and carbohydrate concentrations of the diets were measure… more
Date: December 1992
Creator: Allen, Jerry D. (Jerry Dee)
open access

Hooking Mortality of Largemouth Bass Caught on Controversial Artificial Lures and Live Bait : Lake Ray Roberts, Texas

Description: A total of 192 largemouth bass were caught at Lake Ray Roberts, Texas (1995) to investigate five controversial bass angling techniques relative to hooking mortality. The bait types were Texas-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, Carolina-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, and live golden shiners. Overall hooking mortality was 21.87% and mortality was dependent upon bait type. Highest mortality resulted from the Texas-rigged scented lures, while the lowest mortality was gener… more
Date: May 1996
Creator: Alumbaugh, Andrew E. (Andrew Edward)
open access

Nucleotide Sequence Determination, Subcloning, Expression and Characterization of the xy1LT Region of the Pseudomonas putida TOL Plasmid pDK1

Description: The complete nucleotide sequence of the region encoding the DHCDH function of the pDK1 lower operon was determined. DNA analysis has shown the presence of two open reading frames, one gene consisting of 777 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 27.85 kDa and another gene of 303 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 11.13 kDa. The results of enzymatic expression studies suggest that DHCDH activity is associated only with xy1L. However although the addition of xy1T cell-free extracts to xy1L cell… more
Date: December 1992
Creator: Baker, Ronald F. (Ronald Fredrick)
open access

Comparison of Aspartate Transcarbamoylase and Pyrimidine Salvage in Sporosarcina urea, Sprolactobacillus inulinus, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Micrococcus luteus

Description: The enzyme that catalyzes the committed step in pyrimidine biosynthesis, aspartate transcarbamoylase, has been compared in selected endospore-forming organisms and in morphologically similar control organisms. The ATCases and pyrimidine salvage from Sporosarcina ureae, Sporolactobacillus inulinus, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Micrococcus luteus were compared to those of Bacillus subtilis. While the ATCases from Sporosarcina ureae, Sporolactobacillus inulinus, and L. fermentum were found to exhi… more
Date: August 1994
Creator: Barron, Vincent N. (Vincent Neal)
open access

Evaluating Fish Impingement and Entrainment at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station

Description: This study was designed to determine if impingement and entrainment by cooling water intake at the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station have an adverse impact upon the Squaw Creek Reservoir fish population. The yearly impingement of fish was estimated to be 262,994 of 14 species. The threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) accounted for 96% of this total. Entrainment of eggs and larvae for a five month period was estimated to be 15,989,987 and 42,448,794 respectively. Two fish population studies we… more
Date: May 1996
Creator: Bauml, George A. (George Arthur)
open access

Pyrimidine Salvage Enzymes in Microorganisms: Labyrinths of Enzymatic Diversity

Description: Pyrimidine salvage pathways are essential to all cells. They provide a balance of RNA synthesis with the biosynthetic pathway in pyrimidine prototrophs and supply all the pyrimidine requirements in auxotrophs. While the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway is found in almost all organisms and is nearly identical throughout nature, the salvage pathway often differs from species to species, with aspects of salvage seen in every organism. Thus significant taxonomic value may be ascribed to the salvage … more
Date: December 1995
Creator: Beck, Debrah A. (Debrah Ann)
open access

Responses of Selected Texas Fishes to Abiotic Factors, and an Evaluation of the Mechanisms Controlling Thermal Tolerance of the Sheepshead Minnow

Description: Low oxygen tolerances of ten fishes were estimated using an original nitrogen cascade design, and reciprocally transformed to express responses as ventilated volume necessary to satisfy minimal oxygen demand (L·mg O2^-1). Values ranged from 0.52 to 5.64 L·mg^-1 and were partitioned into three statistically distinct groups. Eight stream fishes showed moderately high tolerances reflecting metabolic adaptations associated with stream intermittency. Juvenile longear sunfish and two mollies comprise… more
Date: May 1994
Creator: Bennett, Wayne A. (Wayne Arden)
open access

Documentation of Biodiversity Impacts (Including Cumulative Biodiversity Impacts) in Environmental Impact Statements

Description: In the United States, biodiversity impact assessment has historically received little attention. Responding in 1993, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released guidelines on incorporating biodiversity into environmental impact assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The objectives of the study here were to identify the level of documentation of biodiversity impact assessment in sample Environmental Impact Statements (EISs); identify whether in the years followin… more
Date: August 1998
Creator: Bhatia, Sarika
open access

The Effects of Long Term Modernate Ethanol Intake on Plasma Levels of ACTH, Beta Endorphin, and Corticosterone in Rats

Description: The effects of single injections and daily oral administration of ethanol on plasma levels of ACTH, beta endorphin, and corticosterone in response to cold stress were examined. The long-term experimental animals were given 0.25 ml of 28% ethanol or water orally once a day, five days a week, for fourteen months. Plasma levels of ACTH, beta endorphin, and corticosterone were lower in alcohol-treated rats as compared with water-treated rats when exposed to cold stress. The effects of a single inje… more
Date: December 1990
Creator: Breedlove, Kenneth
open access

N-Acylethanolamines and Plant Phospholipase D

Description: Recently, three distinct isoforms of phospholipase D (PLD) were identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLD α represents the well-known form found in plants, while PLD β and γ have been only recently discovered (Pappan et al., 1997b; Qin et al., 1997). These isoforms differ in substrate selectivity and cofactors required for activity. Here, I report that PLD β and γ isoforms were active toward N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE), but PLD α was not. The ability of PLD β and γ to hydrolyze NAPE mar… more
Date: December 1998
Creator: Brown, Shea Austin
open access

Plankton Community Response to Dechorination of a Municipal Effluent Discharged into the Trinity River

Description: Chorine is used by the Village Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant to kill pathogenic microorganisms prior to discharge of the effluent into the Trinity River. The residual chlorine in the river impacted aquatic life prompting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in December 1990 to require dechlorination using sulfur dioxide. One pre-dechlorination and four post-dechlorination assessments of phytoplankton, periphyton, and zooplankton communities were conducted by the Institute of Applied Sci… more
Date: December 1994
Creator: Bryan, Brynne L. (Brynne Lee)
open access

Eutrophication Monitoring and Prediction

Description: Changes in trophic status are often related to increases or decreases in the allocthonous inputs of nutrients from changes in land use and management practices. Lake and reservoir managers are continually faced with the questions of what to monitor, how to monitor it, and how much change is necessary to be considered significant. This study is a compilation of four manuscripts, addressing one of these questions, using data from six reservoirs in Texas.
Date: December 1993
Creator: Cairns, Stefan H., 1949-
open access

Characterization of Pyrimidine Biosynthesis in Pseudomonas putida Using Mutant and Wild Type Strains

Description: The biosynthesis of pyrimidines in Pseudomonas putida was investigated. In this study, pyrimidine requiring mutants were isolated by conventional mutagenesis and enrichment. The strains required exogenously supplied pyrimidines for growth and were found by enzyme assays to be deficient for the product of the pyrB gene encoding the enzyme aspartate transcarbamoylase. None of the intermediates of the pathway could supply the auxotrophic requirement of the strain; only preformed pyrimidines, metab… more
Date: August 1991
Creator: Chang, Mingren
open access

Subcloning and Nucleotide Sequence of Two Positive Acting Regulatory Genes, xy1R and xy1S, from the Pseudomonas putida HS1 TOL Plasmid PDK1

Description: TOL plasmids of Pseudomonas putida encode enzymes for the degradation of toluene and related aromatics. These genes are organized into two operons regulated by the Xy1R and Xy1S transcriptional activators. Previous analysis of the TOL pDK1 catechol-2,3-dioxygenase gene (xy1E) and a comparison of this gene to xy1E from the related TOL plasmid pWW0, revealed the existance of a substantial level of sequence homology (82%).
Date: May 1992
Creator: Chang, Teh-Tsai
open access

Heat Shock Proteins in Ascaris suum

Description: Ascaris suum were exposed to a number of stressors, including heavy metals and both high (40°C) and low (18°C) temperatures. The 70kD and 90kD heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the different A. suum tissues were analyzed by Western blot and quantitated by Macintosh Image Program.
Date: August 1995
Creator: Chao, Sheng-Hao
open access

Regulation, Evolution, and Properties of the ato Qperon and its Gene Products in Escherichia coli

Description: The regulation of short chain fatty acid metabolism has been examined. Metabolism of acetoacetate, and short chain fatty acids such as butyrate and valerate, is predicated upon the expression of genes of the ato operon. Acetoacetate induces expression of a CoA transferase (encoded by the atoDA genes) and expression of a thiolase (encoded by the atoB gene). Metabolism of saturated short chain fatty acids requires the activities of the transferase and thiolase and enzymes of 6-oxidation as well. … more
Date: August 1993
Creator: Chen, Chaw-Yuan
open access

Biochemical Identification of Molecular Components Required for Cyanide Assimilation in Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 11764

Description: Utilization of cyanide as a nutritional nitrogen source in P. fluorescens NCIMB 11764 was shown to involve a novel metabolic mechanism involving nonenzymatic neutralization outside of cells prior to further enzymatic oxidation within. Several cyanide degrading enzymes were produced by NCIMB 11764 in response to growth or exposure to cyanide, but only one of these cyanide, oxygenase (CNO), was shown to be physiologically required for assimilation of cyanide as a growth substrate.
Date: May 1998
Creator: Chen, Jui-Lin
open access

Enzyme Assays Using Earthworms for Assessing Innate and Nonspecific Immunotoxicity of Xenobiotics

Description: Principal objectives of my research were to: (1) report for the first time that coelomocytes are able to reduce NBT dye and confirm the presence of lysozyme-like activity in earthworm; (2) develop a standard methodology for determination of NBT reduction and lysozyme-like activity in earthworms; (3) compare NBT reduction and lysozyme-like activity in earthworms with those of murine and human cells and fluids; and (4) demonstrate the sensitivity of earthworm NBT reduction and lysozyme-like activ… more
Date: May 1992
Creator: Chen, Shing-Chong
open access

Site Directed Mutagenesis Of Dienelactone Hydrolase

Description: The role of individual amino acid residues of the enzyme dienelactone hydrolase was investigated. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a 1.9 kbp clcD fragment was amplified and subcloned yielding a 821 bp BamHI to EcoRI clcD subclone in the plasmid pUC19. Site-specific mutants of dienelactone hydrolase were created using mismatched oligonucleotides to prime DNA synthesis. Specifically modified proteins from mutated clcD genes (Arg 81 to alanine, Tyr 85 to phenylalanine and Arg 206 to alan… more
Date: December 1992
Creator: Chen, Wei, 1965-
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